A Grimm ate my homework
by akashic-Gleek
Summary: Harry Potter shows up late for transfigurations class, not only is he late, he has a terrible excuse for his missing homework
1. Chapter 1

**A Grimm ate my homework**

"About time Potter" Minerva said, still facing the board, the enchanted chalk scrawling notes for the Transfiguration lesson. "Place your homework on the pile and take you seat."

"Sorry professor McGonagall I can't" Harry replied softly. After a tenuous pause his voice continued "A Grimm ate it" Draco laughed "A Grimm ate my homework" he parroted, imitating Harry's trembling voice. A look of distain crossing his face as he turns to Blaize "Tosser" he says.

"A Grimm?" Minerva said, scoffing "That is a terrible excuse Harry, 5 points from Gryffindor. Really, why would a Grimm eat your homework?" She asked, turning to face the tardy student.

Harry sways slightly in the doorway, his eyes sunken, and his skin pale. Harry stumbles forward, a large tear opening his robes wide from his left shoulder, the arm below hanging limp. A trail of black dots travel down the hallway, a small pool gathered where he stood in the doorway. "Good heavens" gasps Minerva, hand coming to her mouth. Hermione looks questioningly at the teacher, note taking temporarily forgotten "Harry?" she asks softly, turning towards the door. She gasps at the sight.

Harry lists to the side as he leans towards the hall, the tatters of his robe part to show deep gashes across his shoulder, dripping with black liquid. "It was running after some little blond girl in a green scarf" he says, slumping against the doorframe "I cursed it, but it turned on me" he said. "Nearly took my arm off" Harry's voice rises into a delirious laugh as he falls to the floor.

"Harry?" Hermione gasps, out of her chair she runs to his side "Harry!" she yells. Minerva is next to her in an instant. "Class dismissed. No one is to go outside, the campus is on lockdown" she says curtly. She turns "Get to your dormitories; tell any student you see to follow you." She scans the classroom, "Go. Now!"

The professor pulls several paper spheres out of her robe, she tosses one into the air, it bursts into the shape of a whippoorwill. "Get the Headmaster, now" she says, the small bird zips out the window. "Professor?" Hermione says tentatively. The professor tosses another sphere into the air, it transforms into a small yearling. "I need Hagrid here" she says curtly, the second bird zips out the window. "Hagrid?" Hermione says, confused. Professor McGonagall tosses a third sphere into the air, it transforms into the form of a small raven. "Bring Severus" she says to it "Have him bring his potions bag" she adds as it lifts into the air. "Severus?" Hermione says, "Professor Snape? Potions?" Hermione turns to the professor "What is going on? What is that black liquid?" Minerva sighs, turning to her student "Calm yourself child" she says, "Whatever attacked Potter was most definitely not a Grimm." She leans forward, examining black liquid, her wand tip glowing lightly. She pulls back "Its blood" she says, "It's Mr. Potter's blood" Hermione looks to her professor with trepidation "Why is it black?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **So this is completely unlike my other story, this was prompted when I read an interview with Daniel Radcliffe where he mentioned that he did actually have his homework eaten by a dog one time in school while filming Harry Potter. I can't say for certain if I will add more to this or not, it may just be a one shot


	2. Bite of the Cu Sith

"If you cannot stop pacing, Miss Granger" Severus says curly "You will need to leave" Hermoine pauses, turning to the dour potions master "Sorry Professor" she says with trepidation "I'm just…" she turns to walk closer but stops "Why doesn't anyone seem to know what's wrong?" she asks. Severus turns harry's limp head to the side, lifting one eyelid slightly to peer into his blackened pupils "That would be, Miss Granger" he says slowly "because no one at Hogwarts has seen the effects of a Cu Sith bite." Hermione's head turns swiftly to the professor "Cu Sith?" Severus ignores the young Gryffindor, turning to McGonagall "Minerva? Get rid of her" he says curtly pulling an ebon black wand from his robes. Minerva turns to Hermione "Come child, back to your dorms. Let Severus work" She turns as the headmaster enters the room "Ah Albus, good. Miss Granger needs to return to her dorm, but I fear sending her alone after one of her housemates has been attacked" she says, her eyes flicking swiftly to Harry's unconscious form "Perhaps you could escort Miss Granger so we know she makes it back safely?" Their eyes meet and a brief whisper of energy passes between them before the headmaster turns to Hermoine, smiling "Of course Professor McGonagall, after all the safety of the students comes first" The headmaster gently turns Hermione towards the door "Come Miss Granger, let's get you safely to the dorms" Once they are out of the room Hermione turns to the headmaster "Headmaster? What is a Cu Sith?" A dark thought passes across Albus' face, he doesn't reply immediately. After a few moments he looks to the young student with a comforting smile "Hmm" he ponders "Can't say I have heard of that beast, Miss Granger" he stops her before she continues "It does sound similar to the Scottish faerie cat, the Cat Sith doesn't it?" The headmaster turns to face the young witch "Why do you ask?" Hermoine quickly hides her excitement as she faces the headmaster "Just a curiosity" she replies lightly. As they pass near the central halls Hermoine feigns surprise "Oh, headmaster, can we stop by the library? I have some studying I need to catch up on" Albus smiles "Always the academic" he says "Of course Miss Granger, just please do make it quick. The school is on lock down you know" he says with a smirk. "Of course, Headmaster" Hermoine says sweetly, happy the old man bought her light ruse, it takes her no more than a few minutes to gather her research material. "Fae of the celtic isles, Magical Maladies and their treatment, and Mastering the Mix: A guide to magical tinctures" Albus says, examining the books she returns with "Working on another paper for Professor Snape?" he asks lightly. Hermoine nods lightly "Nothing like that" she replies casually "I'm working on building a paper for the OWLs" she replies. "Indeed" the headmaster replies "I wish more of my students were as driven as you" he says as they approach the Gryffindor dormitories. 'I truly wish none of my students needed to be as driven as you, my young witch' he thinks, smiling sadly as he heads back to check on Severus and young Harry 'A Cu Sith, at Hogwarts?' he shakes his head as he walks 'These are dark times indeed'


	3. A Tale of Another Kind

Hermione growled in frustration, tossing a third grimoire aside; three separate texts, all based on historical and modern day fae creatures and all of them agreed on a single point. The Cu Sith did not exist, they were simply a creation of local parents used to scare children into behaving. Never mind that there were reports of large black dogs that could seemingly walk in and out of the fog throughout the countryside for hundreds of years. She sighed, that'd been the last of the books at the library; outside of the forbidden section she'd tapped the school's resources, and she doubted anything in the forbidden section would provide information on the Cu Sith unless it's venom was used for some dark charm.

Not one to give up, Hermione delved into her private collection of grimoires, several hours later she sat on the bed surrounded by dozens of texts, all of them opened, read and discarded; she'd yet to find a single useful reference to the Cu Sith. She sighed; examining the books piled around her and finally admitted that she wasn't going to find the answers she needed here. While she may be the best when it came to finding answers when it came to knowledge of the unknown she just didn't have the resources. Hermione smiled as a thought came to her; she might not have the resources, but she certainly knew one person who did.

A quick dash into the men's dormitory garnered the witch one of the most precious items in the wizarding world, the Potter's invisibility cloak. Hermione wrapped the cloak around herself and slipped quietly into the Gryffindor common room, wand in hand she exited the room silently. Once safely outside the Gryffindor's quarters she paused, pulling out another item filched from Potter's collection, the Marauder's Map. With the school's ever changing halls and passageways it was not uncommon for a student, or even a professor, to get disoriented. This was not an outcome she could risk, not with Harry wasting away in Madam Pomfrey's care and a dangerous creature lurking the school grounds.

Hermione spent a few tense moments studying the map, thankful that it appeared a large number of the faculty were engaged with monitoring the students or assisting Madam Pomfrey. She was surprised to note that Hagrid wasn't participating in the search of the castle, though perhaps the headmaster had simply suggested he would be of more use in the Forbidden Forest while they were tracking a magical beast, given his previous track record. She was nearly found out twice as she traversed the halls; while traveling down a dusty corridor she came across Filch and his cat, she nearly kicked the poor animal when it startled in front of her as it's whiskers brushed the cloak. She spent several tense moments as Flich strode back and forth across the hall determined to find whatever had spooked Mrs. Norris. Suddenly Peeves dashed down the passageway, leaving a trail of upended armor and strewn weapons in his wake. Hermione could swear he had winked at her as he flew past, coming inches from her hiding place before exploding into the wall. Not two minutes later Hermione had nearly stumbled into Professor Snape as he briskly walked down the hall, muttering to himself about fae dogs and the blasted charms around the school border, an ancient grimoire open in his hands. She flattened herself against the wall as he passed, her heart beating swiftly; if anyone was to find her with Harry's cloak it had better not be Severus Snape.

Arriving at the Ravenclaw's quarters Hermione checked the map briefly to verify there were no other students in the common room before whispering a secondary incantation "Ovem lupo commitere" she whispered, it had taken most of her fifth year studying the map in her off hours to ferret out the Marauders little additions; it seemed each one had added a small enchantment of their own to enhance the map's abilities. She smiled as the map brightened slightly, Sirius's enchantment pulling the current dormitory riddle into the ink atop the door on the map 'Set a wolf to guard sheep indeed' she thought with a smile. Looking down she examined the riddle, a light swirl of dust forming as she shuffled her feet 'Why is a raven like a writing desk?' Hermione looked up in surprise as the answer began to form; the dormitory door had opened. A short blonde girl with wild hair and glittering glasses appeared behind the door smiling at her "Hello Hermione" she said softly "Are you coming in?" Hermione was surprised, Luna was looking right at her, she was sure the invisibility cloak was still in place, yet Luna appeared to know exactly where she was standing. She shuffled lightly, unnerved as Luna watched "Oh don't do that" she said gently, "come on in, quickly now" Hermione sighed softly, slipping into the room, not at all surprised when Luna shut the door behind her.

Hermione followed her in, slid the invisibility cloak off as she took a seat next to the young Ravenclaw. She folded the cloak and placed into her bag along with the Marauder's Map. "How'd you know where I was?" she asks softly, her eyes coming to meet the blond witch. Luna smiles "Peeves told me you were coming" she says, her voice caught partially between here and somewhere else. Hermione nods, smiling at the thought of the Ravenclaw talking with the ancient poltergeist. "Oh" she said "I meant when I was at the common room door, how did you know where I was standing?" she inquired softly. Luna smiled a faraway smile and pointed to Hermione's shoes; the Gryffindor looks down in curiosity, smiling as she noticed the faint traces of flour. "Clever" Hermione says with a smile. 'Incredibly clever' she thinks, 'finding a non-magical solution to a very magical problem' her eyes meet the young witch before her, mentally reassessing her intellect 'Ravenclaw really does suit her' she thinks idly. "What's wrong Hermione?" Luna asked as she took in her fellow witch's appearance. "Harry's been bitten" Hermione replied, wincing, she added "by a Cu Sith." Luna gasps "A Cu Sith?" she says "Did Professor Snape give him the anti-venom?" Hermione stares at her "You know what a Cu Sith is?" she says incredulously, immediately chastising herself, this was why she'd sought out Luna after all. "Oh yeah" Luna says, her eyes growing wide, then fading into her faraway look "Nasty little buggers" she says softly "One bite can be deadly, the venom seeping in, mixing with the host, poisoning them" Hermione shuddered. "Black blood forms slowly" Luna says "Once it's complete" she hesitated then looked away. Hermione sighed, closing her eyes "There has to be a way to stop it" she said adamantly, turning her gaze back to the Ravenclaw "you mentioned an anti-venom" she hesitated "Do you know the recipe?" Luna pondered, a lost look crossing her face "No" she said, Hermione's face fell at her words "But I think I have a book" Luna said softly, turning to her bookshelf, an array of mismatched old books, some giving off a putrid smell. She plucks a small pink book and turns triumphantly "Here it is" she said softly, showing Hermione an aged copy of "Faerie Creatures and Demon Denizens" written by Newton Scamander. Hermione stared at it, a book on Magizoology she didn't have. "That's" she says, shaking her head slightly "Does it have the anti-venom?" she asked softly. Hermione took the book and opened it with reverent care, flipping through with avid fascination. 'Dozens upon dozens of creatures I've never heard of' Hermione thought, stopping briefly to read an entry on Imps 'And more information that any of my books' she thinks 'accurate too' she flips through the book to Irish Faerie entries 'Cat Sith, Cait Sith, Cu Sith' she thinks excitedly "It's here, Cu Sith" she says, reading through the passage thoroughly. Hermione shudders as she reads a passage out loud "The bite of the Cu Sith is exceptionally deadly, infecting its victim with a supernatural disease that turns the blood black and thickens it, causing necrosis of the surrounding tissue. Left untreated the infection is terminal." Her eyes met Luna's before continuing "It has been noted that the Cu Sith stays near its victims after the bite, several hours to several days depending on the severity of the infection, leaving the vicinity only after the victim has perished. This has lead researchers to theorize that the disease itself is some form of conductor for the creatures own abilities and simply acts as a conduit" her voice falters slightly "allowing the creature to feed from a distance" Reading through the rest of the passage Hermione looks at the list of ingredients required for the anti-venom "I haven't even heard of half of these" she says softly, handing the book back to Luna. Luna looks over the list "Well I have Karlac powder with me; it's incredibly useful for diluting acid. I've got a Sarnoc horn too" she says, looking up at Hermione and blushing slightly "No real reason, I just think they look interesting" she turns her head back to the list "Feather of a Phoenix, could probably ask the Headmaster. Lacewing flies, knotgrass, boomslang skin, sophophorus bean and valerian root." Luna looks up "I think I've used most of those in potions class" Hermione looks over the list again "About half of the ingredients are common to some of the more complex potions" she says "And you said you have a few of the others." Luna nods "Then all we need is the wing of a Nargle, the tail hair of a Thestral and" Hermione shivered "The venom of the Cu Sith that infected the victim." Luna's eyes locked with Hermione's as they shared a single thought "We're going to have to find that Faerie" she says softly.


End file.
